Fighting Lyme Disease and tick-borne illnesses

It’s clear that Lyme Disease and related tick-borne illnesses is becoming a public health crisis for Upstate New York that demands continued action by our local, state and federal governments to treat this epidemic.

Lyme Disease is a terrible infection spread by the bite of an infected tick that can affect the skin, joints, nervous system and/or heart. When detected early, it usually can be treated with antibiotics. However, if left untreated, those infected tick bites can often cause serious debilitating health problems.

At a Senate Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases meeting today.

I’ve met with many residents of the 49th Senate District who have been directly impacted by Lyme Disease and related tick-borne illnesses and who asked for help from our state government to deal with this serious public health issue. Today, my Senate colleagues and I took action to pass a holistic package of bills to better research, treat and prevent Lyme Disease and related tick-borne illnesses and ultimately help New Yorkers stay healthy.

The legislative package which I co-sponsored and passed today includes:

(7169) creates a pilot program relating to testing for Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses in children.

(7168) requires that if a post-mortem exam discovers an individual was afflicted with Lyme or other tick-borne illness that the case be reported to the state Health Department.

(2588) relates to developing guidelines for best practices in treating residential properties for integrated pest management to assist in the prevention of ticks that contribute to Lyme and tick-borne infections.

(7208) ensures that the Council on Human Blood and Transfusion Services within the state Health Department reviews current medical research and guidance regarding the donation of blood by patients with a history of Lyme or tick-borne illnesses.

(6926) directs the Health Commissioner to establish a standard protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne disease. This bill requires the Health Commissioner to work with health care providers and experts to develop a standard protocol process and patient notification of related symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis and other information relating to Lyme.

(8534) relates to rules and regulations concerning removal of ticks from pupils.

(8539) directs the state Superintendent of Financial Services, in consultation with the state Health Commissioner, to study the relationship between patient access to care and treatment of Lyme disease and health insurance coverage.

As a member of the Senate Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases, I’m proud to have successfully championed for the inclusion of $1 million (a $600,000 increase from last year) in the state budget to get our foot in the door for efforts to prevent the spread of Lyme Disease.